Camassia wrote a couple of years ago:
Why the focus on the Ten Commandments? Well, no doubt one reason is their place in popular culture -- Cecil B. DeMille didn’t make a movie called The Noachide Laws. But more to the point, people who adhere to that creepy confluence of fundamentalism and nationalism that Kynn Bartlett recently dubbed Christianism seem to think that they are the Jews of the Old Testament.
Consider Jerry Falwell’s infamous claim that 9/11 was the result of God’s “lifting the veil of protection” from America because he was displeased with our immorality. Now, there is some Biblical precedent for this; the OT tells of cases where God punished Israel’s unfaithfulness by letting its enemies conquer it. But Israel wasn’t just any nation; it was not only chosen by God, it was formed by God, with its government and laws made by his specific instructions. It was supposed to be “light of the world.” So when Israel messed up, God laid a beating on it.
Camissa quotes Allen Brill, who made an important point:
What really puzzles me most is why Christians would want to go to the barricades over the Ten Commandments anyway. They are hardly the core of the faith. At least those folks in the end zones with their “John 3:16” signs have a better understanding of what constitutes a Christian confession. I think the Establishment Clause as the Supreme Court has interpreted it reduces sectarian strife, and as we look around the world, that is surely a blessing. But if I am ever in a place where the protections of the Freedom to Exercise Clause are not in place, it is not the Ten Commandments for which I would be willing to go to the stake (or whatever). It is the Gospel of forgiveness and life, and it only, that is worth dying for.
Why are Christians placing such great value on the Ten Commandments? This portion of the Old Testament is not fundamental to Christianity — it’s not entirely irrelevant, of course, but it’s also not fundamental. There are other aspects of Christian theology which would appear to be far better candidates for emphasis and promotion.
Camissa also writes that “The idea that America is the New Israel seems to have floated around for much of our history, and while I haven’t heard it said in so many words, a lot of people seem to believe it now.” Actually, it was said in so many words when the earliest religious settlers arrived on this continent. It was a fundamental part of Christian theology in America that this was to be the New Israel. It has always been a part of American Christianity — something believed by both liberals and conservatives.
Christian Right & Christian Nationalism:
Christian Nationalism & Dominion Theology:
- Dominionism & Dominion Theology
- Christian Reconstructionism
- Leading Christian Reconstructionists
- Reconstructionism & Christian Right: Common Goals, Beliefs
Christian Right Issues & Agenda: